Niall shivered in the darkness as he walked through a frozen chasm in search of refuge. He had decided he didn't want to be anywhere near Ellis, the temptation was too strong. The boy didn't think he could control his urge any longer and decided it'd be best to go separate ways.

Niall had managed to find a broken dagger where presumably another tribute died. It would provide him with a way to defend himself if needed and it made him feel a little bit more safe out in the open. He had a few close encounters with other tributes that night, but managed to escape relatively unscathed and they wouldn't have followed him in fear that it was a trap.

You have to think ahead if you want to survive. Hoping and wishing will get you nowhere.

Niall's feet ached from all the walking and running, it felt like he had been running a marathon. All there was for miles and miles was just ice. A barren wasteland of frozen water. It was inhospitable. Niall couldn't wrap his head around how the animals survived, let alone why the capitol would place them in such a harsh place.

Had this been a dream? Could he just click his heels three times and he would magically wake up?

No it couldn't be that simple. It was reality, but it was so hard for him to grasp. He had only been in the arena for three days but it felt like an eternity.

Too tired to continue further he decided to take a risk. Nearly out of the chasm he stopped and sat between two rocks nearly concealing him perfectly. He pulled the now half eaten apple and took another bite out of it and placed it back in his bag. The canteen was still frozen and with it being nearly impossible to start a fire out here he would be screwed. Niall had resorted to chipping away at the ice and letting it defrost in his mouth. It wasn't a surefire way to keep from dehydration but it was his only idea. Still at risk of getting hypothermia; though his blanket had kept him warm he was completely unprepared. With only one layer of clothing covering him it was a miracle he hadn't frozen to death yet.

His heavy lids drooped and he'd fallen to sleep in seconds, completely exhausted from his travel.

A wave of cold water rushed towards Niall, completely soaking him from head to toe and messing up his new outfit. He stood there in a silent rage while Liam laughed like a crack addict that's been off the pipe too long.

" I love how you think this is funny Li, I just got these clothes and now their ruined. I hope you're happy." He said nonchalantly

"Im sorry babe" He said giving Niall puppy eyes " I'll make it up to you okay?"

"How are you supposed to do that? Niall retorted as his stance changed into a more menacing one.

Liam thought for a second before the perfect Idea hit him.

"How about I take you on a picnic in the forest? I know this nice little meadow half way through it and I think it would be nice." He flashed a smile at his now content boyfriend.

"Sounds great but what am I gonna do about these clothes?" His smiling face now turned into a petty frown.

Liam pelted Niall with splashes of chlorinated water and they both laughed.

Li pulled Niall's shirt off and tossed him into the blow up pool. They both reeked of chlorine and Niall had gotten some water in his ear. but when Li pulled him close and kissed him he had forgotten all his insignificant problems. He no longer cared about his ruined clothes or the horrible smell, their lips pressed together as warmth surged through their half naked bodies.

Li pulled away a bit but their heads still together as he mumbled.

"That's what I think of your clothes" releasing a hearty laugh as he kissed Niall again.

" I'm out of touch, i'm out of love. I'll pick you up when you're getting down." He sung quietly as Niall wrapped his legs around him and let Li carry him away into his home, soaking wet and leaving a trail of water leading into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. Needless to say the two were very tired when they left the room later.

Niall woke up at the crack of dawn with a groan and he sat in the same place eating till he was ready to continue onwards. Luckily he had put the berries back in his bag before he left Ellis' hideout or he would've felt bad about eating his food. His legs ached with every step he took, maybe he had overdone it yesterday.


A metal box hit him dead in his face and left a purplish bruise on his cheek. He opened it warily, removing seals and wraps from the box. He lifted the top off of it and let out a sigh of relief. It contained a white coat with and attached to it was a card that read "From Liam".

Niall looked up into the sky and thanked him over and over, this could keep him from freezing in the harshest nights. The only drawback was that he didn't want Li wasting his money on him. He wasn't sure that he would ever come back to him.